'Dancing With the Stars' pro defends the show from being called a 'popularity contest' and says the judges' ability to save a contestant from elimination helps 'give everyone a fair chance'
- "Dancing With the Stars" pro Alan Bersten feels the show "gives everyone a fair chance."
- Still, some fans say celebs with big followings avoid elimination despite not being the best dancers.
"Dancing With the Stars" pro Alan Bersten said that even though the show has been called out for being a "popularity contest," the judges step in to "give everyone a fair chance" during the elimination round at the end of each episode.
Celebrity contestants and their pro partners on the long-running dance competition show compete for scores from the judges and audience votes. The pairs with the lowest combined scores and votes end up in the bottom two, with the judges ultimately deciding who gets to stay in the competition.
Past "DWTS" contestants, like Johnny Weir and Mischa Barton, have called the show a "popularity contest," arguing that it's as important to have a dedicated fan base as it is to be a good dancer. Some vocal fans have also said on social media that contestants with big followings avoid elimination because they always secure enough audience votes.
In a chat with Insider earlier in November, Bersten said that despite backlash from fans, he feels "the show has figured out in the best way possible over the years how to give everyone a fair chance."
He continued: "The producers of the show did a great job with the judges where if there are two people in the bottom, the judges have the opportunity to choose who they want to save based on dancing and based on the journey."
The dancer added that the judges have "really helped even the dancing field."
Bersten is paired with "The Talk" co-host Amanda Kloots this season. The two avoided landing in the bottom two until the semi-finals last Monday.
Kloots and Bersten facing elimination was a shock to some viewers after the two scored 39 out of 40 for a redemption tango, and a perfect score of 40 out of 40 for a contemporary dance routine dedicated to Kloots' late husband Nick Cordero's song "Live Your Life."
Judge Bruno Tonioli praised the two for dancing with the "clear-cut brilliance of a diamond" and ultimately Tonioli and his fellow judges stepped in to save the pair from elimination, sending them to the finals next week.
The finale of "Dancing With the Stars" airs Monday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.